AN agreement to increase flights between the US and Haneda International Airport in Tokyo was reached between the US and Japan last week.

“(US representatives) have worked diligently with their counterparts in Japan to find a way to provide business and leisure travellers more options to conveniently fly between Tokyo and the US,” said Brian Schatz, the US Senator for Hawaii.

“Adding more options into Haneda complements Japan’s desire to expand international flights, supports consumers, and aligns with tourism goals of the US.”

According to a statement from Schatz’s office, the agreement results in two new flight slots between the US and Haneda while also converting the four existing nighttime flights into daytime flights.

Air carriers will be able to bid for the new flight slots in the coming months.

INDUSTRY players in Sri Lanka are elated that SriLankan Airlines will not be scrapping all flights to Europe, a move earlier considered due to losses made from the routes.

The national carrier had considered pulling out of Europe, with the exception of London, to cut losses while consolidating on profitable routes like India and the Middle East.

“We are delighted. This is a very positive move and shows the government is listening to the industry,” said Hiran Cooray, president of the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL).

SriLankan Airlines last week announced that it will still discontinue flights to Rome but continue flying to London, Paris and Frankfurt, adding that flight capacity to the Middle East will be increased.

Ajit Dias, chairman, SriLankan Airlines said these frequencies will continue for awhile and there are no more plans to reduce frequencies. “We are also talking to several other airlines on code sharing arrangements (to cover sectors that the airline doesn’t fly to),” he said.

S. Paramanathan, managing director of Atlas Lanka Travels, said arrivals are rising even though it’s the shoulder season and hence not the time to reduce flights to European destinations.

THE Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo (AIME) in Melbourne got off to a shaky start this morning when a tour bus carrying 15 hosted buyers and a Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) staff member crashed into a light rail bridge in the suburb of South Melbourne.

The group was part of a showcase tour heading to St Kilda when it ran into trouble at approximately 10.20.

MCB issued a statement confirming that 11 passengers and the driver of the bus had been taken to hospital for treatment of minor injuries and for observation.

It is understood Victorian emergency services responded to the incident immediately with all passengers safely removed from the bus within an hour.

Speaking at the Tourism Australia Hosted Buyer and Media Lunch at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), which was delayed due to the incident, MCB’s CEO Karen Bolinger said: “Our primary concern is the wellbeing of the hosted buyers and staff involved and counselling services will be offered for all passengers, as well as guests of AIME who are affected by the incident.

“We will be monitoring the situation on an ongoing basis to ensure all passengers are provided with as much support as they need.”

Andrew O’Connell from the Melbourne Fire Brigade said it would have been absolutely terrifying for the passengers when the roof of the bus was destroyed.

“Hopefully they all ducked their heads and closed their eyes to keep themselves out of trouble and I think that’s what’s kept them remarkably uninjured.”

A spokesperson from Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital confirmed they were treating five passengers from the accident who were stable but would remain in hospital overnight.

THE Singapore Airshow 2016, which took place at the Changi Exhibition Centre from February 16 to 21, saw strong visitor numbers from both the trade and consumer segments, as well as an increase in amount of deals made at the show.

A total of 50 deals were concluded this year, a 14 per cent increase over the 2014 edition, with 10 of the deals amounting to US12.3 billion in value. The other 40 deals, announced by 20 companies, had undisclosed values. Eight MoU signings were also made, double that of the previous show.

Trade attendance from February 16 to 19 saw a 7 per cent increase compared to 2014, while public visitorship from February 20 to 21 maintained at 80,000. In total, Singapore Airshow 2016 welcomed over 130,000 visitors.

Exhibitor highlights included having nearly 60 companies taking part in the French pavilion this year, the largest French presence ever at an airshow outside of France. Meanwhile, more than 140 exhibitors represented the US and host country Singapore had 36 companies exhibiting at its pavilion, an increase from 29 in 2014.

“We are pleased that the fifth edition of the Singapore Airshow has received such strong support from both trade and public visitors alike,” said Leck Chet Lam, managing director of Experia Events, organisers of the Singapore Airshow.

“We would like to thank our stakeholders, exhibitors, partners and visitors for their continued participation and support, and look forward to building on this year’s show to make Singapore Airshow 2018 even more exciting.”

Singapore Airshow 2018 will be held from February 6 to 11 at Changi Exhibition Centre.

MATTERS of safety, capacity and cost are hampering the competitiveness of Thailand’s aviation sector, according to a statement by IATA, and the association is calling on the country’s government to hastily rectify them.

“Aviation is critical to Thailand’s economic success. It is the backbone of the tourism industry and provides critical global business links. We estimate that today aviation and related activities account for some 2 million Thai jobs and generate US$29 billion in GDP,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s director general and CEO.

“And by 2035 we could see that grow to 3.8 million jobs and US$53 billion in GDP. If realised, that potential 83 per cent growth would have a broad and positive impact across the Thai economy. It is in jeopardy, however, unless key issues of safety, capacity and costs are addressed urgently.”

Regarding safety, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had recently assigned Thailand a lower Category 2 rating based on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety standards, after a reassessment of the country’s civil aviation authority in July, 2015.

With the downgrade, Thailand’s carriers can continue existing flights to the US, but will not be allowed to establish new routes there. Thailand was fortunately spared being put on the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) blacklist, a list of airlines banned from operating in 28 European Union member countries.

“ICAO and the US FAA have pointed out safety oversight concerns and divergence from global standards at the government level. Safety is aviation’s top priority. The government of Thailand must address these concerns in support of a vibrant aviation sector that is the backbone of travel and tourism,” said Tyler.

There are also safety concerns about soft spots on the tarmac, taxiways and apron area of Suvarnabhumi airport with aircraft frequently getting stuck in them. The extra power and towing needed to maneuver through these surfaces is a safety risk to ground personnel, ground vehicles and aircraft, warned IATA.

On top of that, frequent surface repairs create congestion. Tyler stated: “The constant resurfacing of the tarmac, taxiways and apron area with asphalt is an unacceptable patchwork solution. We literally need a concrete solution.”

The airport also faces a capacity crunch. Suvarnabhumi is handling over 52 million passengers, which already exceeds the terminal design capacity of 45 million while demand is growing by 10 per cent annually. Fast tracking the phase two terminal expansion would provide much needed terminal capacity. IATA also calls for third runway plans at Suvarnabhumi to move forward.

As well, with LCCs accounting for 54 per cent of the shorthaul market in South-east Asia and with gulf carriers growing stronger in the longhaul segment, IATA is urging Thailand to remain competitive on the pricing front.

“In the face of intense competition, Thailand’s aviation competitiveness is being chipped away with various new or increased taxes and charges. It is in Thailand’s long-term self-interest to review and abandon proposals that increase the cost of transportation. That includes taxes or charges,” said Tyler.

IN light of a 2.5 per cent drop in arrivals last year, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) will be stepping up collaborative efforts with the travel trade to target shorthaul travellers and families in 2016.

HKTB executive director Anthony Lau said: “This requires stakeholders like agents, attractions and hotels to roll out special packages, such as those with waiver of entry fees and free accommodation for accompanying children at hotels.

“The packages will be launched during local school holidays in countries like China, Taiwan, South Korea and India, as well as in the South-east Asian region.”

With global economic uncertainties looming, Lau projected a modest 1.8 per cent decrease in arrivals in 2016, but agents are not so sanguine, and are deeply concerned about the continuous decline in mainland Chinese footfall.

Mainland arrivals plunged 70 per cent year-on-year during the Chinese New Year holiday season and just last month, the Travel Industry Council recorded only 3,729 incoming tours compared to 11,575 in January 2015.

Charles Ng, managing director, Sincere Travel, said: “The number fell drastically because the Travel Industry Council tried to wipe out low cost tours over the last few years and I reckon the downward trend may prevail given more limits set by the council in order to protect the interests of inbound group visitors.”

Meanwhile, Wing Wong, W Travel’s managing director welcomed HKTB’s move saying: “It’s better than doing nothing. Instead of focusing on expensive TV promotions, the board should jointly advertise more with leading agency partners in Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia.”

HKTB this year will take part in 46 travel trade events in Hong Kong and 13 others held in various source markets. As well, they will be organising 44 familiarisation tours for overseas industry partners.

RETURNING IT&CM China 2016 exhibitor, Fukuoka Convention & Visitors Bureau (FCVB), is hosting the show’s first-ever post-show tours to Japan to promote Kyushu as Your Meeting Place.

Aimed at attending buyers with interest in holding an upcoming event in Japan, the Five Day Four Night tour will cover Kyushu destinations including Beppu, Fukuoka, Kurume, Miyazaki, Nagasaki, Oita, and Sasebo, across two concurrent itineraries.

With Fukuoka being a new MICE city and tourist destination positioned as an alternative to Tokyo and Kyoto, FCVB is spotlighting the destination – one of Japan’s largest cities with a 1.5 million population and excellent infrastructure – as the hub for MICE activities in the Kyushu region, with access to neighboring attractions and sites across Kyushu that can offer variety to an experiential MICE programme.

Izumi Shimada, director of marketing, sales & business development of FCVB shared, “Fukuoka has flourished as a gateway for cultural and economic exchange, and is easily accessible from other Asian countries, like Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines and China. Fukuoka has the best access from the airport to the city center. In addition, the seaport, train terminals, convention facilities, hotels and shopping districts are all located within a 2.5km radius of the city center.”

She continued, “The ease of access is what makes Fukuoka unique from the other Japanese destinations. It also helps in reducing the stress on MICE participants in terms of transit and wait times so they can efficiently spend their time on business negotiations, and or sightseeing. There are many tourist spots for MICE participants to visit, including temples, shrines, hot springs, advanced technology plants and seasonal fruit picking.”

Packed with visits, inspections, sightseeing and hosted meals, the tours offer buyers the options of seeing one of more attractions like Unitamago Aquarium in Oita, Aoshima island in Miyazaki, Hashima UNESCO World Heritage site, Nagasaki Brick Hall, and Peace Park, Glover Garden in Nagasaki and Dazaifu in Fukuoka.

“We are looking forward to demonstrate Japanese hospitality to this select group of IT&CM China buyers and they will be able to understand why Fukuoka and Kyushu as a region in particular are popular destinations for international conferences. We are excited to introduce Kyushu, the home of World Heritage sites, where a variety of sightseeing spots are accessible within a day due to our well-maintained transportation network. Fukuoka and Kyushu, with their rich nature, history and culture, will bring a different experience beyond their expectations,” Shimada continued.

During the tour, buyers will be able to meet with ten CVBs and suppliers from the Kyushu region at a scheduled business session on April 12, 2016. This gives the opportunity for buyers to learn more about the Kyushu destinations they have visited as well as others not featured in the tour.

This 2016 post-show tour event by FCVB is co-hosted by Nagasaki International Tourism and Convention Association, Sasebo Convention & Visitors Association, Miyazaki Convention & Visitors Bureau, Tourism Oita, and Kurume Bureau of Tourism and International Exchange.

For more information on IT&CM China, visit www.itcmchina.com

Jean Gabriel Pérès, President & CEO, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts

SWITZERLAND-BASED Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has initiated a search for a new CEO as current CEO Jean-Gabriel Pérès has informed the board he wishes to step down.

Pérès, who is synonymous with Mövenpick after 17 years with the company, told TTG Asia e-Daily he was not retiring. “Too young to quit,” he said jokingly. Joining another company? “I am just taking a step back after 17 wonderful years of growing the company, and remain a board member, nothing more,” he said.

The chain has hired Egon Zehnder Executive Search to seek a replacement for Pérès, who will remain CEO until his successor assumes leadership. A decision is expected to be reached later this year, said a Mövenpick statement.

The incoming CEO is expected to drive value accretive initiatives including the development of commercial activities and the delivery of further system integration, enhanced distribution and active yield management, added the statement.

Pérès is credited for transforming Mövenpick from a mainly European-based hotel company with a leased hotel portfolio, to a modern asset-light management company with major presence in Europe and the Middle East and a strong entry into Africa and Asia.

He changed Mövenpick’s positioning from a motley bunch of mid-market, four star and some five star hotels to an upscale and upper upscale portfolio.

The company described last year as one of its most successful years to-date with 12 new management contracts, expanding its operating portfolio by 15 per cent. Another 20 properties under negotiation, establishing itself as a key player in the upscale hotel segment worldwide.

Read our earlier interview with Jean-Gabriel Pérès here.